USA > Illinois > Illinois, historical and statistical, comprising the essential facts of its planting and growth as a province, county, territory, and state, Vol. I > Part 39
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In the meantime, the work of internal improvements, the letting of contracts and the selling of bonds, and piling up of the State debt, went "bravely on." Ex-Gov. Reynolds and Senator Young were appointed agents to negotiate state securities both in the United States and Europe. Neither of these gentlemen possessed that knowledge of financial affairs which qualified them for such a mission. They sold and deliv- ered in New York three hundred bonds, agreeing to accept payment therefor in monthly instalments-the last of which did not fall due until Jan. 15, 1840, under which arrangement tne interest on all deferred payments was lost. One thousand bonds, representing $1,000,000, were negotiated with Thomas Dunlap of Philadelphia, payments for which were also to be made in instalments, in United-States bank notes, which before the State received them had depreciated ten per cent - by which the State lost not only the interest but $100,000 besides. About one hundred of the bonds were sold on credit to New- York banks, to be used by them in the experiment of free banking, about to be put on trial in that State. Before pay- ment for these had been made, the banks failed, thereby entail- ing a loss on Illinois, not only of the unexpended currency received, but also of the amount yet due on instalments not matured.
Upon the conclusion of these blundering negotiations in New York and Philadelphia, the putative financiers embarked for London, taking with them Gen. Rawlings and Col. Oakley, two of the fund commissioners, to see what they could accomplish there. Finding the money market close, the State agents
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ILLINOIS-HISTORICAL AND STATISTICAL.
deposited 1000 bonds ($1,000,000) with John Wright & Co. in London and authorized them to sell the same. They sold about half the bonds for £91 on the £100, and that firm having failed before the proceeds of the sales by them had been paid over, the State had to accept the same dividend as other credi- tors of the bankrupt firm, which amounted to only a few shillings in the pound.
By Dec. 1, 1839, the general account on the public ledger presented the following appalling appearance:
Bonds sold to the State Bank and Bank of Illinois, invested as capital therein - $2,665,000 - Internal-improvement bonds sold in United States 3,187,000 Internal-improvement bonds disposed of in London 1,500,000 Canal-bonds sold 3,400,000
State-house bonds - 128,000
Due to the school-and-seminary fund 750,000
Due to the banks for auditor's warrants - 142,550
Due to contractors and interest on loans - 1,458,000
Total $13,230,550
Early in the fall of 1839, the governor became alarmed over the expansion of state credit and the prospect of impending disaster. The people also began to move and to express their discontent and dissatisfaction at the outlook of state affairs, in public meetings, which were held in fifteen counties. A few months of experience in the executive chair had wrought an entire change of opinion in the governor's mind, and in view of the fact that the public credit had been extended to exhaustion, and the state debt enlarged to such enormous proportions, he determined to call a special session of the legislature, to con- sider the grave crisis. "The town of Springfield," now the capital of the State, was designated as the place of meeting.
The commissioners appointed to locate, temporarily, the county-seat of Sangamon County in 1821, designated the same as "a certain point in the prairie, near John Kelly's field, on the waters of Spring Creek," and called the place Springfield. When the proprietors, Pascal P. Enos and Elijah Iles, came to plat the town after the opening of the land-office in 1823, they called it Calhoun, after the distinguished senator of that name;
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THE NEW CAPITOL.
but this appellation being as objectionable to the people as the first one was to the proprietors, the former insisted upon calling it Springfield, until finally the name of Calhoun was abandoned and the former one restored.
Being the distributing point for a large section of rapidly- growing territory, and having no rival in any direction within seventy miles for the first few years, it soon filled up with an enterprising population of merchants, mechanics, and traders. By 1830, it numbered a thousand inhabitants, which number in four years had increased to 1400, making it the largest town in the State except Jacksonville, which claimed 1600.
It was incorporated as a town in 1832; and among its trustees- from that period until it was organized as a city in 1840, under a special charter, were Charles R. Matheny, who was most of the time president of the board, Stephen T. Logan, Abraham Lincoln, Samuel H. Treat, Philip C. Latham, and Wm. Butler. Its selection as the capital of the State added largely to its growth and influence. Among other festive celebrations in honor of the event, in the fall of 1839, a "grand ball" was given at the American House, to which invitations were sent to Chi- cago and all the principal towns of the State and to St. Louis, many of which points were represented on the occasion, although acceptance involved for those from St. Louis a stage ride of twenty-four hours, and for those from Chicago a week's time. But it was designed to be a grand affair which was to include the wit, the beauty, and fashion of the entire State. Among the managers appear the names of A. Lincoln, S. A. Douglas, James Shields, N. W. Edwards, J. A. McClernand, Nicholas H. Ridgely, J. F. Speed, E. D. Taylor, W. S. Prentice, Isaac R. Diller, and Robert Allen. And although the event occurred half a century ago, Gen. McClernand, Hon. N. W. Edwards, Col. E. D Taylor, Rev. W. S. Prentice, D.D., and Isaac R. Diller still survive to tell the tale.
When Springfield became the capital of the State its houses were mostly frame and poorly constructed. It contained but little wealth, and many of its citizens found themselves greatly embarrassed through their efforts to raise the $50,000 required under the Jaw toward erecting the new state-house. Its streets and most of its sidewalks were unpaved, and in the spring and
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ILLINOIS-HISTORICAL AND STATISTICAL.
fall its normal condition was that of unfathomable mud. In- deed, for many years, it was far from being an inviting city. Mr. Lincoln told a favorite story to illustrate this point. Thompson Campbell, the secretary of state, who had the care and letting of the assembly chamber, one day received an application from a meek-looking man, with a white necktie, for the use of the chamber to deliver a course of lectures. "May I ask," said the secretary, "what is to be the subject of your lectures ?" "Certainly," was the reply, with a very solemn expression of countenance; "it is on the second com- ing of our Lord." "It is of no use," said Campbell, "if you will take my advice you will not waste your time in this city. It is my private opinion that if the Lord has been in Spring- field once, he will not come the second time."
But its citizens possessed enterprise and industry; capital came in; manufactories were established; railroads developed its splendid coal-fields; and at the outbreak of the late civil war, with the gathering of troops at the central point, the establish- ment of camps and depots of supplies, it entered upon an un- broken era of prosperity. In 1883, a system of street pave- ments was adopted, the transforming effect of which has con- verted it into one of the most attractive cities of the West.
The corner stone of the state-house was laid July 4, 1837, with imposing ceremonies, an eloquent address being delivered by Col. E. D. Baker. It had been estimated that the building would cost $130,000, but $240,000 was expended upon it before its completion .* It was not ready for occupancy at the time of the called session, and the Second Presbyterian Church-a new brick building-was secured for the house, the Methodist Church for the senate, and the Protesant-Episcopal Church for the supreme court.
* The capitol occupied the centre of the public square, nearly three acres in extent, and was constructed of cut-stone brought from a quarry six miles distant. It was 123 feet in length, 89 feet in width, and 44 feet high, with two porticos fronting north and south, supported by massive columns. The basement was divided into four large rooms for offices, for fuel and storage, and a fire-proof vault. A spacious hall 32 feet in width open to the dome, from which it was lighted, extended entirely across the first story, on one side of which was a room for the supreme court 50 x 40 feet, two rooms 23 x 17 feet each ; and on the other side three rooms 40 x 24 for library and offices, 16 feet in height. The second story contained the hall of the house of representatives, on the west side, 82 x 40 feet, and a senate chamber across the hall, on the east side 40 x 50 feet, and eleven committee rooms.
433
A CHANGE OF POLICY.
The governor in his message set forth the reasons which had induced him to reconvene the legislature. He stated that while he had been in favor of the state system of improvements, he was opposed to its extent, and that the fatal tendency to enlarge the system at the last session and "the ruinous policy of simul- taneously commencing all the works and constructing them in detached parcels was alike at variance with the principles of sound economy, destructive to the interests of the State, and to the system in all its parts." He therefore recommended a modi- fication of the system, and the completion of such portions of the works as would produce a revenue. With regard to the canal, he recommended the sale of additional lands to an amount sufficient to meet the liabilities for work contracted, and interest on the debt.
And now began the struggle in the legislature for a change of state policy. Party lines were effaced. Those who still adhered to their former views contended that to abandon the system now would be to have nothing left to show for the vast expenditures already made; that the works would become useless and only the decaying monuments of a vacillating policy; that out of the wreck there might be gathered a fund amounting to about $1,500,000 which, after meeting the inter- est, would yet leave a sum sufficient to complete 129 miles of railroad now nearly finished. They made a desperate effort to carry their point but without avail. A sufficient number of their former allies were won over to the other side to secure the passage of laws which virtually abrogated the entire system.
The board of fund commissioners and that of commissioners of public works were abolished. A single fund commissioner was provided for, and elected, who was to receive and take charge of the railroad iron purchased in Europe, to receive back and destroy all unsold bonds, and to audit and settle the accounts of the late boards.
Provision was made for the election of a new board of public works, composed of three commissioners, who were authorized to adjust all liabilities under the internal-improvement system. Only those engineers and agents whose services were required to ascertain the amount due to contractors were to be retained, and even these were to be discharged as soon as practicable.
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ILLINOIS-HISTORICAL AND STATISTICAL.
Such roads as were completed were to be opened and managed by the board. Richard F. Barrett was elected fund commis- sioner, and Joseph Bealle, Hart Fellows, and John Hogan com- missioners of public works.
And thus came to a disastrous conclusion in this State, as it had in others, an attempt on the part of the commonwealth to carry on a system of public improvements.
As a result of this stupendous scheme, only a portion of one of the projected improvements was completed, namely, the railroad from Meredosia on the Illinois River to Springfield, a distance of fifty-one miles. This was done after the expendi- ture of another $100,000 derived from the sale of canal-bonds, and the road finally surrendered to the State, May 13, 1842. From this time, it was leased to individuals and operated gen- erally at a loss, until 1845, when it had fallen into such bad repair that it was practically useless. Its one locomotive had been run off the track and abandoned. Mules were then sub- stituted for steam power- the road carrying only freight, passengers preferring to go by wagon or stage. Finally, in pursuance of the law of 1847, the road which had cost the State nearly a million dollars was sold at public auction, and purchased by Nicholas H. Ridgely, of Springfield, for $21,100 .*
The precipitate rashness attendant upon the origination of the works found its fitting counterpart in the undue haste and anxiety displayed in the disposition of the property, real and personal, left from the general ruin. The Northern-Cross Rail-
* The following incident occurred at the sale. Mr. Ridgely bid $10,000, and the road was cried for that sum for some time-going, going at $10,000, until he began to think it would be knocked down at that figure. A wealthy speculator by the name of Col. Johnson who heard the crying of the sale across the street in a barber- shop where he was undergoing a tonsorial operation, upon being informed what sale it was, started to his feet and exclaimed "wipe me off quick, old man, and I will go over and make a bid myself." He arrived just in time to offer a hundred dollars more. Mr. Ridgely raised his bid $1000. Johnson added another $100, and so it went on for some time, rather monotonously for Mr. Ridgely. Finally he inquired of the colonel if he was bidding for himself or some other party. He replied "for parties in St. Louis, who have agreed to pay me a commission." Mr. Ridgely inquired, "would you not as soon receive a commission from Springfield as St. Louis?" "Cer- tainly-that is satisfactory," said Johnson; and he walked off. The road was accord- ingly struck off to Mr. Ridgely. The next day the colonel called upon him, and, without a word being said except to pass politely the time of day, received a check for $1000, for his commission.
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THE FOLLY OF THE SYSTEM.
road, had the State retained its ownership for a few years, would have sold for twenty times the amount realized from this sale. The railroad iron hardly brought enough to pay freightage; and the 42,000 acres of land were hurriedly disposed of to purchasers at almost nominal prices. There still remained the canal and the bank stock, while those counties who at the time thought they were grievously treated, had received the two hundred thousand dollars which fell to their lot as the price of their support of the system.
That a body of law-makers could be found who could be induced to sanction a system so crude in inception, so extrava- gant in dimensions, so impracticable in details, and so chimerical in its aims, is only another illustration of the remark that "splendid abilities and the power of ingenious speculation are not statesmanship." Their action can not be ascribed to any lack of earnest conviction or genuine integrity of purpose, but rather to a headlong rashness due to a want of experience in affairs. Nevertheless, as a clock striking in advance of time only anticipates the hour, so did these legislators, by but a few years, antedate the progress which the State was ultimately to make through the stimulus imparted to the development of its resources by railroads. In the selection of routes clear fore- thought and sound judgment were shown, all of the lines marked out having long since, through private enterprise, become im- portant and successful arteries of commerce. And it may be further remarked in defence of their gigantic scheme, that it is yet a moot question among political economists whether gov- ernmental ownership and operation of railroads, as in some states of continental Europe, is or is not the soundest policy.
Illinois, however, was not alone in the financial straight to which she had been brought by the ill-considered legislation of amateur statesman. The other states of the northwest suffered equally from the same cause and on the same account; the debt of Ohio at this time being nearly $15,000,000, and that of Indiana $14,000,000, while that of Michigan, with a population of only 212,276, had reached the sum of $6,000,000. But, as will be seen hereafter, Illinois was more fortunate than the other states named, in the fact that the representatives who were among the most active in promoting her scheme of inter-
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ILLINOIS-HISTORICAL AND STATISTICAL.
nal improvements more than compensated for the bad results which flowed from it by securing to the State, largely through their own efforts, that magnificent grant of land for the Illinois Central, through the revenue derived from which railway the State has more than redressed all her losses.
When the people awoke from their dream of fancied prosper- ity to find themselves staggering under the burdens of a colossal public debt-when they saw their hopes shattered and their resources likely to be drained by a necessary but unparal- leled taxation, they looked back upon their former infatuation with a sort of incredulous amazement.
Having become involved in this difficulty, the question which next presented itself was how to extricate the State, with credit and honor, from the embarrassment incident to the creation of such an enormous debt, which will be considered in the proper place.
Notwithstanding the fact that the interests of the people, material and political, were most intimately connected with questions of State policy, the election of . 1840 was conducted wholly upon national issues.
Following the historical line thus indicated, the attitude of political parties at this time, naturally, next claims attention.
The opposition to the democracy having learned through defeat the advantages consequent upon that partisan cohesion resulting from intelligent organization, decided to emulate the example of their party foes. Accordingly, at the suggestion of leading papers, the first whig State convention was convoked at Springfield on Monday, Oct. 7, 1839, to effect an organiza- tion and to name delegates to the national convention, already called to meet in December at Harrisburg. Delegates were present from thirty counties. Edward D. Baker was appointed the pro-tem, and Wm. Moore the permanent president. A State central committee was appointed, composed of A. G. Henry, Richard F. Barrett, E. D. Baker, Abraham Lincoln, and J. F. Speed. The delegates selected to the national convention were George W. Ralph, Ezra Baker, Wm. B. Warren, Wm. A. Min- shall, and Walter L. Newberry of Cook. Presidental electors were named as follows: at large, Cyrus Walker and Buckner S. Morris; Ist district, Samuel D. Marshall; 2d district, Edwin B.
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HARD CIDER CAMPAIGN OF 1840.
Webb; 3d district, A. Lincoln. The convention was said to be "the largest and most intelligent ever convened in the State," and was conducted with great harmony and spirit.
The whigs nominated Gen. Harrison as their candidate for president and John Tyler for vice-president, at Harrisburg, Dec. 4, 1839, but adopted no platform of principles whatever, making the general issue in the campaign opposition to the democratic administration.
Martin Van Buren was unanimously renominated as the candidate of the democrats at Baltimore, May 5, 1840. No candidate for vice-president was put in nomination, on account of the diversity of opinion as to the "proper man for that office" tne convention resolving "to leave the decision to their republi- can fellow-citizens of the several states."
The democrats adopted a platform of negations-these were, Opposition to internal improvements by the general government -against assuming the debts of the several states contracted for local or state purposes-against the fostering of one branch of industry to the detriment of another-against the power of congress to charter a United-States bank-against governmental interference with the domestic institutions of the several states. They were, however, in favor of "practising the most rigid economy" in conducting public affairs, and of those liberal Jeffersonian principles "which make ours the land of liberty and the asylum of the oppressed of every nation."
The leading issues before the people may be briefly summar- ized: a United-States bank versus a subtreasury-a protective tariff versus free-trade-economy in the national administration. The latter formed the popular war-cry of the whigs, who did not fail to call attention to the "hard times" which they attributed directly to the adoption of democratic measures.
The well-remembered "hard-cider" and "log-cabin" campaign followed. The use of these terms had their origin in a sneering remark in a democratic paper to the effect that "give old Harri- son plenty of hard cider and he would be content to live in a log-cabin all his days." What was thus intended as a slur was taken up by the whigs as their catch-word and war-cry. Log- cabins and barrels of cider, some of which were exceedingly hard, thenceforth formed the prominent features of every meet- ing and procession.
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ILLINOIS-HISTORICAL AND STATISTICAL.
No regular army was ever better organized, equipped, or drilled, than the contending hosts on either side. The whigs had never elected a president, and being for the first time united under one banner, with bright prospects of success, a wonderful enthusiasm pervaded their ranks, such as the democrats were not able to arouse. They held meetings, extraordinary as regards both members and interest, all over the country. One of these, which, perhaps, exceeded all others, was held at Springfield in June. The people came from all portions of the State; in wagons, on horseback, and on foot, bringing their provisions with them and camping. The prairies for a week previous to the meeting were covered with excited crowds, drinking hard cider, riding in their log-cabins built on wheels, and singing campaign songs, a specimen of which is as follows:
"Let Frenchmen drink claret and sweet muscadine, And Germans drink hock on the banks of the Rhine; But give me to quaff, with friends warm and true, A gourd of hard cider to old Tippecanoe.
In the White House VanBuren may drink his champagne And have himself toasted from Georgia to Maine- But we in log-cabins, with hearts warm and true Drink a gourd of hard cider to old Tippecanoe."
Twenty thousand people, nearly five per cent of the entire population of the State, attended this meeting, among whom was a delegation from Chicago, of whose members Charles Cleaver, Thomas B. Carter, and Stephen F. Gale are still living. Securing fourteen of the best teams available, and four tents, they captured the government yawl, which they rigged up as a two-masted ship and placed on a strong wagon drawn by six fine grey horses. Thus equipped, with four sailors on board, a band of music, and a six-pounder cannon to fire salutes, with Captain, afterward Maj .- Gen. David Hunter in command as chief-marshal, they started with flying colors on their journey. It was an exciting and ever-to-be-remembered expedition. At Joliet, which they reached on the evening of the second day out, their progress was opposed by a mob of roughs and labor- ers on the canal; but the advancing force, at the word of com- mand, having drawn their pistols, it was deemed advisable to
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TWELFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
permit them to proceed. They were seven days making the trip. Their vessel was a wonder to the inhabitants along the route, many of whom had never seen anything of the kind. At Springfield it divided the attention of the masses with a huge log-cabin, twelve by sixteen feet, constructed on an immense truck whose wheels were made of solid wood, cut from a large tree. The latter was drawn by thirty yoke of oxen; a couple of coons were playing in the branches of a hickory sapling at one corner; and a barrel of hard cider stood by the door, whose latch-string was hanging out. The brig was presented to the whigs of Sangamon County, in an able speech, by William Stuart of the Chicago American; in return for which the Chicago delegation was presented with a live gray eagle, in an eloquent address by E. D. Baker, at the critical portion of which, when he described the eagle's broad flight as emblematic of the election of Harrison, the "noble bird" re- sponded to the sentiment by rearing his head, expanding his wings, and giving a loud cry. The applause of the immense crowd was correspondingly wild and enthusiastic. The entire trip consumed three weeks' time, but was enjoyed by the party from first to last.
These tactics of the whigs were met by large mass meetings of the democrats, who claimed to be "the poor man's party," at which hickory clubs and poles, emblems of fealty to Gen. Jack- son, were the prominent features.
The whigs elected the president, but failed to carry Illinois- the majority in favor of VanBuren being 1939. The foreign vote along the canal in Cook and LaSalle counties and in St. Clair, more than turned the scale. The democrats also succeeded in electing a large majority of the twelfth general assembly; the senate standing 26 democrats and 14 whigs; the house, 51 democrats and 40 whigs.
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